One Little Word
by recchinon
Summary: Sometime you need to show it, other time you have to say it. Every couple have their own problem, for some couple they have their lover says “I love you” a lot but never shows the feeling, and for Vaan and Penelo, he shows it a lot but hardly to say it.


**A/N: **Hello, It is my first try in this fandom. I hope that I could do this without offending anyone, because I am a newcomer (in this fandom)and maybe I haven't quite mastered the storyline and the characters. To be honest, I just played FFXII since six days ago, but I read the manga since long time ago and already fell in love with Vaan and Penelo since first time saw them on manga. Right now I am just reaching Phon Coast (currently level 40), I wish that I could finish the game before the fic ends. Lol.

English isn't my first or second language, I know it should not become a reason for grammatical errors, I just warn you that probably there'll be lots of grammatical errors ahead. (I am usually checking the spelling so, don't worry about the spelling)

Well, I know that putting author notes on the top of the page could distract the readers, but this time I have to do it.

Thanks in advance for reading.

p.s I haven't edited this chapter, may be there'll be some error.

**Summary: **_**Sometime you need to show it, other time you have to say it. Every couple have their own problem, for some couple they have their lover says "I love you" a lot but never shows the feeling, and for Vaan and Penelo, he shows it a lot but hardly to say it. **_

**Disclaimer:**_** FFXII belongs to Squarenix. Me? Ah, I am just a wacko gamer that's so in love with Vanelo.**_

_*****_

**One**

"Are you ok, Penelo?"

The girl nodded weakly, her throat was dry and she still felt dizzy but she smiled at the younger boy who knelt beside her and looked at her with a frown drawn on his face. Penelo swallowed, she could feel some hi-potion bitter taste in her throat, "I am ok, Larsa… Thanks for healing and reviving me…"

His frown vanished and he smiled, "Don't worry Penelo, I'm glad that nothing bad happened to you…"

"Oh c'mon, Penelo…" called the other older boy who stood not far from them, "Get up and hurry! We have to reach Jahara before dark!"

Penelo looked at the boy, who looked at her impatiently. She sighed, "Great, Vaan… Can't you see I'm just knocked out?" She glared at her childhood friend. Sometime he was so annoying until she felt like punching him. But she knew better than that, she would not have heart to punch him. Well, not seriously, an emptyhanded knuckles would not hurt him too badly.

She tried to sat up by her self but Larsa had already grabbed her hand and helped her to stood up. She smiled at the prince, "Thank you again, Larsa…"

Larsa smiled shyly, "Nevermind, Penelo…"

Vaan huff-ed, "Oh c'mon, hurry up will you two?"

Penelo rolled her eyes. Vaan always like this, sometime she wished that he could learn how to treat a woman from Larsa. Well, Penelo liked Vaan personality, she liked everything about him, but sometimes he was just too dense. _And dorky, _she added silently.

"The sun should set soon…" Said the viera as Penelo walked closer to the rest of the group, "We better get hurry. Jahara should be not far."

Penelo and the others nodded as they walk across the plain. Penelo and Vaan liked Fran's voice. It sounded funny but also catchy for them. Penelo actually admired Fran. She is pretty, smart and misterious (who would guess that she was older than fifty years old). Somehow, Fran image was so sexy for her. She admited that Fran and Balthier looked good together even though she knew that there was nothing more between the two. She thought that may be Balthier liked Ashe. There was something in the way Balthier look at the princess. She wasn't sure, but the image of a sky-pirate and a princess was so romantic for her. She smiled at the thought of Ashe and Balthier together. If only Basch had a feeling for the princess it would be more interesting. It would be a love triangle among a princess, a sky pirate and an ex knight.

"Are you ok?"

Penelo glanced over her shoulder and saw Vaan walked beside Ashe and looked at her concerned, "You looked pale." Vaan said again, "Wanna rest?"

"I am fine. We don't have time for resting. We have to reach Jahara before dark." Ashe said without looking at the younger boy, she walked faster and left the boy who rubbed her nose blindly at her response.

Penelo giggled at his expression, she walked toward Vaan and elbowed him playfully in the rib, "Aw… She turned you down…"

Vaan looked at Penelo, "Like hell I care…"

"Well.. don't be shy Vaan…" teased Penelo grinning.

"I'm not shy, and shut up, Penelo. She could hear it!" said Vaan warned her.

"What? Vaan likes Lady Ashe?" Larsa appeared from Vaan's left side, "Is that true?"

"No, that's not." Vaan hissed, he looked at Penelo and growled, "See what you've done? You make Larsa thinks that I like Ashe."

"Everybody knew it already Vaan, no need to hide it.." Penelo laughed but deep inside she wanted to screamed. She hated it, if he really liked Ashe but she could not stop to tease him about it. Maybe she just tried making him telling her how was his feeling toward the princess. She had to know it, "You like her."

"Oh shut up." Vaan glared at the girl.

" Vaan, your face is red," Larsa joined Penelo to teased the orphan.

"It is not!"

"Oh c'mon kids, we don't have all day!" called Balthier who was already few meters ahead with the rest of the group. The sky pirate sighed, the three of them were really handy in a fight, they helped a lot, but sometime they were also noisy and handful.

After grinned teasingly at Vaan who pouted his lips, Penelo ran toward the others. She loved to teased Vaan, he was dorky and she always loved it. Seriously, maybe she loved him afterall. Penelo sighed. If it were true that he liked Ashe... Penelo shook her head violenty. She liked Ashe, she wasn't vunerable like what princess should be in her childish thought, but she would hate it if Ashe took Vaan from her.

Penelo looked at the sky, it would be dark soon. They had to stop walking in the night. This plain was alien for them, and so did the creatures living in here. The monsters in this area were stronger than other monsters they have been encountered before. She even got knocked out once today. She sighed. She had got knocked out and Vaan did not react much about it but he checked Ashe's condition for nothing. It was Larsa who had revived her. He did not care. He cared about Ashe more than he cared about her.

She fought the tears in her eyes, she did not want to make the other worried. Of course, she always knew that Vaan cared about her, but somehow after he met Ashe, he seemed different. He seemed like moving away from her. She hated herself whenever she thought like this

"Hey."

Penelo looked at Vaan that walked side by side with her. She frowned. She wondered since when he was there. He did not look at her and kept walking in same pace with her. She bit her lower lip and looked forward like what he did. They did not say anything for a while, set up their own pace and walked few meters behind the others.

When he thought that no body—except maybe the Viera—could hear him, Vaan sighed and looked at Penelo, "I don't like her, seriously."

She raised her eyebrows at him, wondering what he talked about, "Huh?"

"Ashe," he hissed, she almost could not hear it, but they walked so closely so she could hear it, though she still did not understand until he continued it, "I did not like her."

She felt that her face boiled and looked away to hide her blush, "Ah, I see." She hoped that she did not sound too happy.

"I mean, I do like her." He added quickly, made Penelo looked at him and frowned, "As friend…" he added almost in shy tone, "I mean…" he looked into her eyes as if he tried to find something there, maybe trust "…there's something about her that seemed familiar to me…" he sighed and looked at the sky, "She reminds me of Reks."

"Reks?" Penelo knew everytime he looked at the sky it meant that he fought the tears, Reks used to teach them how to stop the unwanted tears.

"Uh-huh." Vaan put his hands on his head and walked slowly, "Somehow… I also don't know why…" He sighed and shook his head as he put his hands on his waist, "May be it's just because she has royal blood. The same blood of people who set Reks up and killed him."

Penelo put her arm around his, "Vaan…" She hissed.

"Don't worry, Penelo… I don't hate her."

Penelo nodded but she did not say anything and just hugged his arm as they walked slowly following the others. The weather became colder but she felt warm from the warmth of his skin she touched. She did not say anything, she just wanted to enjoy the moment.

"You know what Penelo," he asked as he rubbed his nose using his free hand.

"Mmm?"

"Next time let me be the one who revive you."

Penelo thought for a moment before then laughed out loud. She hugged his arm tighter and smiled, "Of course…"

*****

**A.N2: Well guys, thanks for reading :) I am so sorry if it may be seemed too OOC or something, I hate OOC-ness so believe me, I have done my best to keep them in character. I will keep trying on improving my writing so I hope that you will keep reading the next chapter (though I don't know yet when I will posted it). Once again, thanks a lot for reading/drop by. **

**Regards,**

**Recchinon**


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